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GO FORWARD THOUGHT OF THE WEEK ➡️
I updated my LinkedIn a few months ago.
Changed my title to "Chief AI Officer." Added "turn AI into ROI by connecting your story, strategy, and systems" to my headline.
I started seeing people reach out. They wanted to talk specifically about AI.
At first, I was pumped. Then I got nervous.
Here's why: I didn't want to be "the AI guy."
I've spent 25 years mastering brand strategy. Building creative systems. Connecting dots between culture, technology, and business outcomes. AI is just the latest tool I use to amplify that thinking.
But suddenly, everyone wanted to talk to me specifically about AI. Not about creative strategy. Not about brand transformation. Just AI.
I had this moment where I thought: was I just another fill-in-blank bro riding a wave?
Then something happened that changed how I think about this opportunity.
The $20K Wake-Up Call
I recently talked to a guy I met at a conference. We talked for 30 minutes. I asked him smart questions about his business. Gave him some strategic direction. Nothing groundbreaking from my end.
He called me back a week later: "Pete, you gave me more clarity in 30 minutes than seven years of consultants. What would it take to hire you for a day?"
I said I don't really do that. He pushed. "Seriously, what would it take?"
We settled on $20,000 for one day together. He's flying out next month.
Walking away from that call, I realized something: it didn't matter what got him to reach out to me. What mattered was what he experienced once we talked.
He came for AI advice. He stayed because of how I think about problems. How I connect information. How I help him see creative shortcuts he couldn't see before.
The Trojan Horse Strategy
That's when it hit me.
I was overthinking this. Worrying about becoming just another AI guy when my real superpower is strategic creativity and systems thinking.
But here's the truth: I need a Trojan horse. Use the AI operating system as the hook. It's sticky. People understand it. They'll come in for that. Then I give them everything else I actually do.
Think about it: productivity systems feel like working inside someone else's head. Generic branding advice sounds like every other agency. "Strategic creativity" is too abstract to sell.
But "I'll help you install an AI operating system for growth"? That's concrete. That's timely. That's a door opener.
And once you're in the room? That's when they discover you're not just the AI guy. You're the strategist who bends light. The creative who sees patterns others miss. The operator who compresses time between idea and execution.
What This Means for You
Here's what I've learned about positioning in this AI-saturated moment:
Don't fight the trending label. If AI gets you in the room, use it. If SEO opens doors, walk through them. The sticky, understood concept is the entry point, your trojan horse.
Your real differentiator emerges in the work. Nobody hires you long-term for the thing that got them to call. They hire you for what you actually deliver.
Lead with what's trendy, deliver what's timeless. AI is the hook. Strategic thinking, creative systems, outcome velocity, that's what keeps clients coming back.
The architecture firm doesn't fight being known for beautiful renderings. That gets the meeting. But they win the project because of their understanding of space, light, and human behavior.
The Real Product
When I gave that guy 30 minutes of strategic thinking and he offered me $20K for a day, it wasn't because I knew more AI tools than him. It was because of how I helped him think differently about his business.
I'm not selling AI. I'm selling the ability to turn ideas into outcomes faster. To see creative shortcuts. To engineer context that makes computation powerful instead of just fast.
AI is just the latest vehicle for that. Five years ago, it was "digital transformation." Ten years ago, it was "social media strategy." The label changes. The underlying value stays the same.
So here's my question for you: What's your Trojan horse?
What's the trending, sticky thing you can use to get in the door... knowing that once you're in, you'll deliver something far more valuable?
Because here's the truth: the best founders I know aren't worried about their positioning being "pure." They're focused on getting in the room and proving their value once they're there.
Use whatever opens the door. Then deliver what only you can deliver.
That's the real operating system.
Hit reply and tell me: what's the thing people think they're hiring you for, versus what you actually deliver? I'm curious how this plays out across different industries.
Talk soon,
Pete Sena
P.S. I help founders and business owners build their own AI OS as their go to AI guy. Book a call here and let’s get to work.
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